Meet Katie Crosby

Katie Crosby is a native of Kannapolis, North Carolina, a mill town less than an hour away from South Carolina. She grew up the daughter of a stay-at-home mother and a father that worked in the mill. Her family was no stranger to financial hardship. She and her family found out through the evening news one night that the local mill was shutting down. Her father along with 5,000 other people employed at the mill lost their jobs overnight. Despite her family’s financial troubles, Katie managed to obtain a full scholarship to UNC Charlotte. She knew she had a strong passion for education so she decided to enroll in a dual program for elementary and special education. It was during her time at UNCC that she was first exposed to disparities in education. She completed some of her first classroom observations in a poor, urban, Title 1 school. She was appalled by the school’s lack of resources and outdated curriculum. This experience ignited her passion for advocacy for equal opportunity in the public education system. 

Later in her undergraduate program, she had the opportunity to do a grant project for a local school. She rallied some of her classmates to pull their grant money together and lead the project for the same school she visited for her observations. Katie and her classmates were able to purchase new curriculum materials for the school that they previously did not have access to. After graduating from UNC Charlotte, Katie taught at 2 schools in North Carolina before moving to South Carolina with her husband in 2019. 

While she is currently out of the classroom, she is pursuing her desire for education and helping kids through tutoring while also working as a Realtor. In addition to her out-of-class instruction, Katie serves on the NAACP Education Committee where she helped to ensure that federal government Covid funding for education was being allocated appropriately in South Carolina schools. She also serves as Chair of the Lancaster County Democratic Party. 

Katie is running to represent South Carolina House District 44 because she believes that South Carolina should live up to its motto of hope for all residents of the state. She believes that one’s zip code should not determine their access to a quality education, healthcare, or opportunity. Katie is running to help create a South Carolina where every resident can not only survive, but thrive!